Atheist Nexus2017-10-16T22:12:51ZShirley A. Ricketthttp://atheistnexus.org/profile/ShirleyARicketthttp://api.ning.com:80/files/kZzo8PgK6neQN4AfxW4EG8lio8WXn0XSgqGXhrjLcnz6wFQSa-7LXzOI*ItARRbbgifycjdTrRuWIx0iU2Ci9jHlOgwyAvvH/genericprofilepicture.png?width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1http://atheistnexus.org/group/originsuniverselifehumankindanddarwin/forum/topic/listForContributor?user=31cta3w5bbqf0&feed=yes&xn_auth=noThe Great Work of Our Time with John Liutag:atheistnexus.org,2017-09-17:2182797:Topic:27684292017-09-17T21:50:52.506ZShirley A. Ricketthttp://atheistnexus.org/profile/ShirleyARickett
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wxCsxW8oJQ" target="_blank">The Great Work of Our Time by John D Liu</a></p>
<p><span>John D Liu shows what is possible for Earth restoration on a massive scale, delivering a message hope and inspiration.</span></p>
<p><span>We live in a time of profound change, an end of the old and beginning of a new era of human civilization. It is a time of chaos with many risks facing us unless we make informed decisions based on reasoning and critical…</span></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wxCsxW8oJQ" target="_blank">The Great Work of Our Time by John D Liu</a></p>
<p><span>John D Liu shows what is possible for Earth restoration on a massive scale, delivering a message hope and inspiration.</span></p>
<p><span>We live in a time of profound change, an end of the old and beginning of a new era of human civilization. It is a time of chaos with many risks facing us unless we make informed decisions based on reasoning and critical thinking. </span></p>
<p><span>There was a time in Earth’s history when great forests existed filled with unbelievable diversity of flora and fauna. In place after place civilizations grew until people out populated the ecosystems beyond their ability to sustain society. Once great cultures grew and died. Why? In too many places it was because of poor farming techniques, lack of sequestering water, and too many people. The Earth’s natural fertility withered away to wastelands. </span></p>
<p><span>We now know it is possible to restore large damaged ecosystem. We see the evidence of using different water management, enlightened farming techniques, and different lifestyles with different values resulting in restored, rehydrated soils and fertility to the land. We observe the positive changes to society, air, water, and soils in such diverse places as the Loess Plateau in China, the Valley of the Jordan River, in the Amazon River Basin, and many small projects completed by communities.</span></p>
<p><span>It is not only possible to remove toxicity from contaminated air, soils, and water, it is possible to sequester carbon, and restore natural fertility, it is necessary to do this if we want future generations to live in peace and prosperity. </span></p>
<p><span>“For humanity to further evolve it is necessary to transition from a society dedicated to consumption to a society dedicated to ecological function.” </span></p>
<p><span>Living in society as it collapses under the old order it offers a harbinger of a time of full employment, equality, purpose and fulfillment. </span></p>
<p><span>“This is THE GREAT WORK OF OUR TIME and we are called to understand and participate in it.”</span></p>
<p><span> </span></p> Neanderthals, Denisovans and ancestor Xtag:atheistnexus.org,2016-07-30:2182797:Topic:27000712016-07-30T20:27:41.576ZShirley A. Ricketthttp://atheistnexus.org/profile/ShirleyARickett
<p><a href="https://www.ibe.upf-csic.es/home/-/asset_publisher/T2caeLMECPvW/content/id/5585968/#.V50LOaK2EoI" target="_blank">New ancestor to humans discovered</a></p>
<p>Andaman Islanders have DNA fragments of a third ancestral line.</p>
<blockquote><p>Scientists at the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE) ... have discovered a new type of now extinct hominid that lived in south-east Asia. This species, not described to date, is an ancestor of humans like the Neanderthals and the Denisovans…</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://www.ibe.upf-csic.es/home/-/asset_publisher/T2caeLMECPvW/content/id/5585968/#.V50LOaK2EoI" target="_blank">New ancestor to humans discovered</a></p>
<p>Andaman Islanders have DNA fragments of a third ancestral line.</p>
<blockquote><p>Scientists at the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE) ... have discovered a new type of now extinct hominid that lived in south-east Asia. This species, not described to date, is an ancestor of humans like the Neanderthals and the Denisovans and they crossed with modern humans tens of thousands of years ago.</p>
<p>The genetic analysis of a group of individuals from the Andaman Islands in the Indian Ocean has revealed that their DNA contains fragments that do not correspond to modern humans who left Africa about 80,000 years ago. When comparing these sequences with those of Neanderthals and Denisovans, scientists have seen that they also are clearly different. The researchers of the IBE have concluded that this DNA belongs to an extinct hominid that shares a common ancestor with the other two but has a different history.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ibe.upf-csic.es/documents/3816330/0/Foto3_Arbol_Evolutivo.jpg/edbc490c-ad8e-432d-95f8-fe66fd328fea?t=1469392382319"><img class="align-center" src="https://www.ibe.upf-csic.es/documents/3816330/0/Foto3_Arbol_Evolutivo.jpg/edbc490c-ad8e-432d-95f8-fe66fd328fea?t=1469392382319&amp;width=450" width="450"/></a></p>
<p></p> Has man evolved?tag:atheistnexus.org,2016-06-14:2182797:Topic:26915742016-06-14T02:30:51.495ZShirley A. Ricketthttp://atheistnexus.org/profile/ShirleyARickett
<p>I read a piece today that gives me the shivers. Lots of articles caused me to pause. However, this particular item stuck in my mind in tandem with the violence in Orlando. If homo sapiens evolved through the stages of development and got to the stage of mass murder with a single man and a single gun killing many people, is there any hope for man to move on past that stage into a developmental stage of reason?</p>
<p>The item that caused me shudders was the educated person, a <span>Senator…</span></p>
<p>I read a piece today that gives me the shivers. Lots of articles caused me to pause. However, this particular item stuck in my mind in tandem with the violence in Orlando. If homo sapiens evolved through the stages of development and got to the stage of mass murder with a single man and a single gun killing many people, is there any hope for man to move on past that stage into a developmental stage of reason?</p>
<p>The item that caused me shudders was the educated person, a <span>Senator from Georgia, <span>David Perdue,</span> to pray for Obama. "We should pray like Psalm 109:8! </span></p>
<p>This is how the prayer Senator Perdue encouraged the audience to make for Obama continues:</p>
<blockquote><p>8 Let his days be few; and let another take his office.</p>
<p>9 Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.</p>
<p>10 Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.</p>
<p>11 Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour.</p>
<p>12 Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children.</p>
<p>13 Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out.</p>
<p>14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the Lord; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The good Senator may not be taking up the gun and ending anyone' life. He does present a biblical prayer of the meanest sort of spirit. He bestows thoughts to a group of people of death to a father and husband. He prays for vagabond lives and desolation upon the children. </p>
<p>To me, if there were a god, there would be only one that is the same around the world. He/she/it would be teaching the means to peace and reconciliation. There would not be us/them, and there would be a concern for the Earth. </p>
<p>This charlatan character known as god or allah or yahway or any other name you can come up with is a figment of human imagination intended to put one group of people over all others. </p>
<p>With all this craziness going on in all parts of the globe, it is vital that we stay calm, responsible for our behaviors, and willing to stand up in the presence of bigotry of all kinds. Stop prejudice in its tracks while offering a rational option. It is not our responsibility to make another think critically; it is our duty to confront such nonsense as this U.S. Senator displayed. </p>
<p><a href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/PdXXQXB083VmClqx*u5avJvPLXidjQLMgoOJOvRDas1tOP3gFDrtVvVMSugy60rPzWlEb0qBr9G2JUKYTIL5hA3T6kwQBSLy/EvolutionofMan.png" target="_self"><img src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/PdXXQXB083VmClqx*u5avJvPLXidjQLMgoOJOvRDas1tOP3gFDrtVvVMSugy60rPzWlEb0qBr9G2JUKYTIL5hA3T6kwQBSLy/EvolutionofMan.png?width=500" width="500" class="align-full"/></a></p>
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</blockquote>
<p></p> The evolution of worktag:atheistnexus.org,2016-06-13:2182797:Topic:26917412016-06-13T16:24:14.316ZShirley A. Ricketthttp://atheistnexus.org/profile/ShirleyARickett
<p>There are more workers than jobs and with the growing population that reality grows with no prospects for returning to the paid labor force and jobs matching. </p>
<p>Robots do more work and will do more in the future; from computers to 3D production by computers, goods and services will be delivered without the hands of humans. The future work is in inventing, maintaining, and operating robots.</p>
<p>Capitalism is better than feudalism but it does not meet the needs of modern economic…</p>
<p>There are more workers than jobs and with the growing population that reality grows with no prospects for returning to the paid labor force and jobs matching. </p>
<p>Robots do more work and will do more in the future; from computers to 3D production by computers, goods and services will be delivered without the hands of humans. The future work is in inventing, maintaining, and operating robots.</p>
<p>Capitalism is better than feudalism but it does not meet the needs of modern economic reality. </p>
<p>So, what comes next in the evolution of work? </p>
<p><a href="https://soundcloud.com/weeklyeconomicspodcast/fully-automated-luxury-communism?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=nefoundation&amp;utm_content=3+-+Miss+the+first+episode+with+Aaron+Bastan&amp;utm_campaign=wep_1306&amp;source=wep_1306" target="_blank">Fully Automated Luxury Communism</a></p> A review of African fossils confirms co-existence of multiple early human species during middletag:atheistnexus.org,2016-06-09:2182797:Topic:26906152016-06-09T05:24:08.593ZShirley A. Ricketthttp://atheistnexus.org/profile/ShirleyARickett
<p><a href="https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2016/06/a-review-of-african-fossils-confirms-co.html#So5sgLyrgQDZYrkz.97" target="_blank">A review of African fossils confirms co-existence of multiple early human species during middle Pliocene</a></p>
<p>"If 'Lucy' wasn't alone, who else was in her neighborhood? Key fossil discoveries over the last few decades in Africa indicate that multiple early human ancestor species lived at the same time more than 3 million years ago. A new review…</p>
<p><a href="https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2016/06/a-review-of-african-fossils-confirms-co.html#So5sgLyrgQDZYrkz.97" target="_blank">A review of African fossils confirms co-existence of multiple early human species during middle Pliocene</a></p>
<p>"If 'Lucy' wasn't alone, who else was in her neighborhood? Key fossil discoveries over the last few decades in Africa indicate that multiple early human ancestor species lived at the same time more than 3 million years ago. A new review of fossil evidence from the last few decades examines four identified hominin species that co-existed between 3.8 and 3.3 million years ago during the middle Pliocene. A team of scientists compiled an overview that outlines a diverse evolutionary past and raises new questions about how ancient species shared the landscape."</p>
<p>Read more at <a href="https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2016/06/a-review-of-african-fossils-confirms-co.html#AAPRLXQY0bvMBsoi.99">https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2016/06/a-review-of-african-fossils-confirms-co.html#AAPRLXQY0bvMBsoi.99</a></p>
<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9bqXd9-VnFE?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</p> The Probability Of Beingtag:atheistnexus.org,2016-06-01:2182797:Topic:26885032016-06-01T03:02:19.919ZShirley A. Ricketthttp://atheistnexus.org/profile/ShirleyARickett
<p><a href="http://rosarubicondior.blogspot.com/2011/11/on-probability-of-being.html" target="_blank">The Probability Of Being</a></p>
<p><a href="http://rosarubicondior.blogspot.com/2011/11/on-probability-of-being.html">http://rosarubicondior.blogspot.com/2011/11/on-probability-of-being.html</a></p>
<p>"<span>For it to happen, for as many generations are there have been human generations, and for as many generations as there has been life, every single one of your ancestors needed to meet…</span></p>
<p><a href="http://rosarubicondior.blogspot.com/2011/11/on-probability-of-being.html" target="_blank">The Probability Of Being</a></p>
<p><a href="http://rosarubicondior.blogspot.com/2011/11/on-probability-of-being.html">http://rosarubicondior.blogspot.com/2011/11/on-probability-of-being.html</a></p>
<p>"<span>For it to happen, for as many generations are there have been human generations, and for as many generations as there has been life, every single one of your ancestors needed to meet exactly the right mate at exactly the right time and to produce one of your ancestors with exactly the right combination of genes. In each generation, the right sperm needed to fertilise the right ovum.</span><br/><br/><span>"And if any one of these had been different, you would not exist."</span></p>
<p><span>....</span></p>
<p><span><a href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/uQzc4C36qjcwyISwZI0d181sX4BzxlLYuOX9mziXBPSZr9AUEKRoy45X3A4wM0qFbMCef*drIvKnRBcmyTOiNFGuxIutps6X/Probability.jpg" target="_self"><img src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/uQzc4C36qjcwyISwZI0d181sX4BzxlLYuOX9mziXBPSZr9AUEKRoy45X3A4wM0qFbMCef*drIvKnRBcmyTOiNFGuxIutps6X/Probability.jpg?width=100" width="100" class="align-full"/></a></span></p>
<p><span>"<span>So there is no explanation needed beyond pure chance because there is actually nothing to explain.</span><br/><br/><span>"And it's this huge unlikelihood of you having this chance to experience life which makes you special; not the notion that there was some pre-determined intent to produce you. Had that been so, there would be no wonder in your existence. You would be nothing more than a conjuring trick; easily understood by the simple-minded but nothing more to be said or discovered.</span><br/><br/><span>"As it is, your existence is truly wonderful."</span></span></p>
<p></p> Sean Parker to Donate $250,000,000 to Fight Cancertag:atheistnexus.org,2016-04-14:2182797:Topic:26796812016-04-14T00:29:19.347ZShirley A. Ricketthttp://atheistnexus.org/profile/ShirleyARickett
<p>Billionaire Sean Parker who was the first president of Facebook and a co-founder of Napster will donate $250,000,000 to fund immunotherapy research to fight cancer. This type of therapy fights cancer by using methods to induce the body's own immune system to attack it. Recently $125,000,000 was donated to Johns Hopkins University for the same purpose. Immunotherapy cured former President Jimmy Carter of cancer that had spread to his brain when he was 91 years old. Per the…</p>
<p>Billionaire Sean Parker who was the first president of Facebook and a co-founder of Napster will donate $250,000,000 to fund immunotherapy research to fight cancer. This type of therapy fights cancer by using methods to induce the body's own immune system to attack it. Recently $125,000,000 was donated to Johns Hopkins University for the same purpose. Immunotherapy cured former President Jimmy Carter of cancer that had spread to his brain when he was 91 years old. Per the article:</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>The new Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy will focus on the emerging field of cancer immunotherapy, which harnesses the body's immune system to fight cancer cells. It will include over 40 laboratories and more than 300 researchers from six key cancer centers: New York's Memorial Sloan Kettering, Stanford Medicine, the University of California, Los Angeles, the University of California, San Francisco, Houston's University of Texas MD Anderson and the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/health/cancer/sean-parker-donates-250-million-launch-cancer-immunotherapy-institute-n555196">http://www.nbcnews.com/health/cancer/sean-parker-donates-250-million-launch-cancer-immunotherapy-institute-n555196</a></p> Living Relatives of Leonardo da Vinci have been Foundtag:atheistnexus.org,2016-04-13:2182797:Topic:26794852016-04-13T13:42:02.670ZShirley A. Ricketthttp://atheistnexus.org/profile/ShirleyARickett
<p>Using DNA from the remains of the father of Leonardo da Vinci scientists have determined that Leonardo has living relatives. Their identities will be revealed on Thursday. Although the article suggests otherwise this does not necessarily mean that Leonardo had children because he had a number of half-brothers by his father and his living relatives might be descendants of some of them instead of him. Per the article:</p>
<p></p>
<p><em>Leonardo da Vinci lives on, according to two Italian…</em></p>
<p>Using DNA from the remains of the father of Leonardo da Vinci scientists have determined that Leonardo has living relatives. Their identities will be revealed on Thursday. Although the article suggests otherwise this does not necessarily mean that Leonardo had children because he had a number of half-brothers by his father and his living relatives might be descendants of some of them instead of him. Per the article:</p>
<p></p>
<p><em>Leonardo da Vinci lives on, according to two Italian researchers who have tracked down the living relatives of the Renaissance genius.....Vezzosi and Sabato identified the direct living descendants from Leonardo’s father....The researchers will detail their discovery at a conference on Thursday, just a day before the 564th anniversary of Da Vinci’s birth. Some of Leonardo’s descendants will attend the conference. “The list includes some surprising names,” Vezzosi said.</em></p>
<p><em> </em></p>
<p><a href="http://news.discovery.com/history/art-history/leonardo-da-vincis-living-relatives-found-160412.htm">http://news.discovery.com/history/art-history/leonardo-da-vincis-living-relatives-found-160412.htm</a></p> Hawking Posts to Chinese Twitter-Like Servicetag:atheistnexus.org,2016-04-12:2182797:Topic:26794262016-04-12T13:25:21.285ZShirley A. Ricketthttp://atheistnexus.org/profile/ShirleyARickett
<p>Stephen Hawking made his first post to China's Twitter-like Weibo service. In less than 5 hours he acquired more followers than Apple chief Tim Cook who has been posting to it for nearly a year. Per the article:</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>Renowned cosmologist Stephen Hawking entered the universe of Chinese social media with a big bang on Tuesday, with his first post to the country’s Twitter-like Weibo service garnering him more than a million followers the same day. In less than five hours Hawking…</em></p>
<p>Stephen Hawking made his first post to China's Twitter-like Weibo service. In less than 5 hours he acquired more followers than Apple chief Tim Cook who has been posting to it for nearly a year. Per the article:</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>Renowned cosmologist Stephen Hawking entered the universe of Chinese social media with a big bang on Tuesday, with his first post to the country’s Twitter-like Weibo service garnering him more than a million followers the same day. In less than five hours Hawking flew past Apple chief Tim Cook, who has around 820,000 fans after a nearly a year online. “In my physical travels, I have only been able to touch the surface of your fascinating history and culture,” the Cambridge scientist said in his initial post, writing in both English and Chinese so as to avoid any information loss in translation. “But now I can communicate with you through social media -– and I hope to tell you more about my life and work through this page and also to learn from you in reply,” he added.</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://news.discovery.com/space/hawking-makes-first-post-to-chinas-version-of-twitter-160412.htm">http://news.discovery.com/space/hawking-makes-first-post-to-chinas-version-of-twitter-160412.htm</a></p> Researchers Say Vitamin D3 Improves Heart Function in People with Chronic Heart Failuretag:atheistnexus.org,2016-04-06:2182797:Topic:26785002016-04-06T21:56:24.076ZShirley A. Ricketthttp://atheistnexus.org/profile/ShirleyARickett
<p><span class="font-size-3"><font face="Calibri" size="3">A five year study of people with chronic heart failure has indicated that vitamin D3 significantly helps their condition. Per the article:</font></span></p>
<p></p>
<p><i>In the 80 patients who took Vitamin D3, the heart's pumping function improved from 26% to 34%. In the others, who took placebo, there was no change in cardiac function…<font face="Calibri" size="3">.</font></i><i>The findings from the VINDICATE study will be presented…</i></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"><font face="Calibri" size="3">A five year study of people with chronic heart failure has indicated that vitamin D3 significantly helps their condition. Per the article:</font></span></p>
<p></p>
<p><i>In the 80 patients who took Vitamin D3, the heart's pumping function improved from 26% to 34%. In the others, who took placebo, there was no change in cardiac function…<font face="Calibri" size="3">.</font></i><i>The findings from the VINDICATE study will be presented at the American College of Cardiology 65th Annual Scientific Session &amp; Expo in Chicago on April 4.</i></p>
<p></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"><a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160404152900.htm"><font face="Calibri">https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160404152900.htm</font></a></span></p>
<p></p>